This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Pass new rules to dump Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: Editorial

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne opens a door to letting Toronto city council get rid of Mayor Rob Ford. It’s about time.

Premier Kathleen Wynne called Toronto's mayoral scandal “truly disturbing” and announced that her government would be open to intervene, under certain circumstances.

Thu., Nov. 14, 2013

If you can’t get rid of an ogre, at least weaken him and lessen the damage he does.

That’s the strategy behind two measures going to Toronto city council on Friday aimed at trimming some of Rob Ford’s mayoral power. The proposed actions aren’t enough, of course. Anything that leaves this abusive, drunken, drug-using, out-of-control con man at the helm of Canada’s largest city necessarily falls short.

A novel motion by Councillor John Filion would strip Ford of the right to fire or appoint Toronto’s deputy mayor and the chairs of city committees. Council can withdraw that power because it granted this authority, in the first place, to then-mayor David Miller in 2006. It matters because people chairing these committees represent a majority on the city’s executive committee, which has a role similar to the cabinet in more senior governments.

Filion says relieving Ford of this power means he won’t be able to bully committee chairs into doing what he wants by threatening to replace them. But with whom? There are no Ford loyalists left on council, apart from the mayor’s reprehensible brother Councillor Doug Ford.

Article Continued Below

The main benefit of Filion’s motion is stability. It would stop Ford from wrecking the executive committee by firing its members and refusing to replace them — a very real possibility under this thuggish and vindictive mayor.

A second measure to be addressed by council would assign Ford’s emergency management authority to the deputy mayor. This wouldn’t result in noticeable change unless a disaster hit the city (apart from Ford’s calamitous administration).

Both initiatives have symbolic value, showing Torontonians and the world that this city’s democratically elected representatives aren’t sitting still and tolerating Ford’s excesses. Many expressed their dismay on Thursday by turning away in their chairs whenever Ford rose to speak in council. Some councillors who had earlier advised him to temporarily step aside switched to saying that Ford shouldn’t come back. The Toronto Argonauts expressed disappointment that Ford wore the football team’s jersey while behaving in an unseemly manner. And the mayor was asked Wednesday not to march in Toronto’s annual Santa Claus Parade.

Despite all these rebuffs, Ford called a news conference on Thursday to indulge in a now-familiar ritual: he apologized for making inexcusably lewd comments earlier in the day, accused others of spreading “100 per cent lies” against him, and indicated he would remain in office without taking any time off to deal with his personal issues.

Wynne declared recent developments “truly disturbing” and announced that her government would be open to intervene, under certain circumstances. Specifically, city council would need to indicate a lack of ability to function and request “new tools” from the province to fix the problem.

An ideal “tool” would be an amendment to the City of Toronto Act increasing council’s power to punish rogue members whose misconduct threatens the municipality. Council can already level sanctions on those in breach of its code of conduct, on receipt of a report from the integrity commissioner confirming a violation. But existing penalties consist only of a reprimand or suspension of pay for up to three months. Ford can easily laugh off either option.

He wouldn’t be grinning if Queen’s Park amended existing rules to give city council power to toss out disgraceful members like him. A report from the integrity commissioner should still be required, confirming gross violations. And to prevent unjust dismissals, an ousting should require at least a two-thirds majority vote. For good measure, the city’s code of conduct could be amended to specifically prohibit criminal conduct and abuse of hard drugs. With these changes, Ford — or any similar miscreant — would no longer feel free to inflict his toxic presence on a helpless city.

City council voted on Wednesday to ask the integrity commissioner to investigate whether Ford’s outrageous conduct violates the code. It obviously does, but that probe will still take a few months (there’s a lot of material to cover). In an ideal world, council would ask for necessary tools to dump Ford and Queen’s Park would deliver them, with all-party support, in time to act upon the integrity commissioner’s report.

It’s a long shot. But it’s a glimmer of hope that Toronto can rid itself of Ford without enduring another full year of his antics.

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com